HALESTORM Members Talk Mental Health Awareness (Video)

Kalle-Rock.de recently conducted an interview with HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger and vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if they think society in general needs to do something in order to prevent an increase in the number of people suffering from mental health problems, Joe said: “Do you think there’s more people [suffering from it] or it’s just [that] being together on the technology side, you hear more about it?” Lzzy chimed in: “I don’t know. I feel like there’s been an increased number of deaths due to depression and all of that too.” Joe continued: “It is a negative time in the world. There’s just naturally negative people that just enjoy hating and try to make people feel bad — that’s always been there; that’s always gonna be there. The problem is now they have an equal voice, and I think it’s been a bit jarring to society in general, like, ‘Woah! Why are there all these negative people? ‘ Well, they’ve always been there. Smart, positive people generally don’t yell loud, ’cause it’s not a smart way to communicate; it’s the loud, obnoxious ones that yell the loudest. And I think people are gonna have to learn, just like, you don’t listen to that shit. Those people should not have any sway in your life, ’cause they aren’t worth it, and you validate them and their negativity by acknowledging it.”

Lzzy, who recently launched a mental health awareness campaign in the wake of the tragic death of HUNTRESS frontwoman Jill Janus, added: “In our small corner of the world, at least for myself, you try to do your part to put out that positive vibe. And also, what I’ve kind of been trying to do is create an awareness that, literally, I think that it’s 90 percent of us… maybe there’s a small, small minority that has not been touched in some way by mental illness. So, for me, I feel like the more that we talk about it and the more that it becomes less of a, ‘Oh, you’re crazy. You’re going to a shrink’ — all of that.”

She continued: “I feel bad for young people that have grown up in this generation of social media where it almost feels like that is your real life.”

Joe went on to say: “I don’t know what the solution would be, but it should be taught [to] young [people]. There should be some sort of [education], like, ‘This is what happens out there. People will try to do that, and you don’t pay attention to them. It’s okay — they’re always gonna be there. And don’t be one of those people.’ I don’t know… There’s gotta be some sort of a shift in how people are educated about how to navigate those waters, ’cause it is a whole world out there.”

HALESTORM‘s latest album, “Vicious”, which came out in July via Atlantic. The disc was recorded last year at Nashville, Tennesse’s Rock Falcon recording studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz.